Posted 10 years ago
JHK1911
(10 items)
Found this lovely wooden box while we were moving. Just curious what it was for.
It is about 12 in long. Maybe there was an ink well before with two empty boxes inside.
What was this wooden box for? | ||
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Hi JHK, are the boxes lined? If so, it may well be a tea caddy, the shape is right and the lock usually means it was for holding something of value. Usually the boxes were for holding green and black tea.
Had a look about and am sure it is a (19th century english) tea caddy, the central hole was used to house a "caddy bowl" and the outside boxes held the tea. For some reason a lot of them were made in this sarcophagus shape. Do a google image search for tea caddy and you will find many similar examples.
Aha! Yes, the boxes are lined with paper looking material.
Thank you so much for resolving the mistery .
Glad to be of assistance. regards William.
Educated myself: "The largest and most diverse group of caddies are the wooden boxes or chests. The high cost of tea assured its status as a luxury item and necessitated a secure container for its storage and display. The construction and decoration of these containers was a reflection of the social rank of the owner. The finest furniture makers were enlisted to produce these boxes, each of which reflected the cabinetmaker’s best work.
The earliest wooden chests date from the Queen Anne period and were generally of walnut, often sarcophagus shaped with two or three compartments for black and green tea and sometimes sugar. As styles changed in the 18th century, there was a preference for smaller, single compartment boxes in square, oval, or multi-sided shapes. "